Festive Aftermath
by Temporary Permanent
Summary: Follows the previous RobinXLissa one-shots. Set during the post game during a festival in honor of Shimei's sacrifice. Mostly about Ayaka, Lissa, Owain, Morgan, and Chrom. Warning fluffy like Cotton Candy.
1. Prologue: Festival

**Hello there! It's been awhile, hasn't it? Sorry for my sudden disappearance. The world decided to work against me and...ah screw it. I was lazy, I didn't want to bother with the story, and I took a break. That being said, here's another story. Intended to be a one-shot, I thought maybe three or four chapters would be better. I'll get back to A Mother Who You Forgot soon. I promise!...probably.**

Lissa stared out the window of her chamber. Ever since that fated battle with Grima, when Shimei made the sacrifice to ensure the god's demise, it had become a way to spend her evenings. She would always just look at the hills in the landscape, praying that he might be walking down them.

_Shimei, what's taking you so long? D-didn't you tell me yourself that you'd come back?! _She thought.

As she continued her inner rant, Lissa thought back to her and her husband's last conversation.

* * *

_The back of Grima's back began to fade. It was an ethereal feeling; we were practically suspended by nothing. However, along with Grima, Shimei began to fade. He had taken a severe wound to the chest from Grima. While Chrom and he argued over whom to make the final blow, Grima decided to counterattack. It happened so fast, all Shimei could do was push Chrom aside. I watched Shimei struggle to breathe as Chrom and Ayaka practically engulfed him with harsh words and tears. Shimei was smiling. I knew that he wouldn't have had it any other way. When Shimei noticed me, he began to speak._

"_L-Lissa...*cough*...we did it..."_

"_..."_

" _Come on...*cough*...don't ...be like that."_

"_...how..."_

"_...how?"_

"_HOW COULD YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE US? DID EVER CONSIDER HOW WE FEEL?!"_

"_..."_

"_I-I...*sniff*...I just don't..."_

"_Lissa..."_

_I looked up to see that he had almost completely faded._

"_I-I'll be...ight...ck..."_

* * *

Lissa returned from her thoughts. She gazed over to the cloak hanging on one of the poles of her dresser mirror.

"Shimei, Naga wasn't wrong was she? Are our bonds strong enough for you to return?" Lissa mumbled.

"Sounds like you're the one who needs to come back." A voice called to her.

She turned to see her greeter was Chrom.

"Oh, Chrom, watcha up too?" She asked with a fake smile.

He had taken notice of Lissa's behavior. It was only natural. The first war had taken her sister, and the conclusion of the second stole her husband from her as well. However, Shimei wouldn't want her to be depressed all the time. Even learning of her sister's miraculous survival only kept her happy for a while. Shimei lay deep in heart, and now a part of it was missing.

_Is that why you said you'd return? To keep us from falling into depression? Are you really out there? No. No, I can't think like that. Especially not in front of Lissa. _Chrom thought.

"I actually came for your help, Lissa." Chrom stated. He needed to stay on topic.

"Mine? What for?" Lissa asked.

"We're reuniting the Shepherds! The holiday of Grima's defeat is fast approaching." Chrom continued.

"R-right, it'll have been one year now..." Lissa mumbled looking downward.

Chrom wanted to punch himself in the face. Then again, that's what he had his wife for. Sully would generally knock him around to keep him in line, or just out of boredom. Chrom cleared his throat and continued.

"Yes, well-I'd better start sending letters and such. We've got a week before the festival! ...Do you think you could round up a few yourself?"

"Yeah, I can. I'll go now." Lissa stated.

After parting, Chrom stood outside the door. He gave a heavy sigh and walked off consoling himself.

* * *

The next week was spent locating and gathering the once brothers in arms. Some were easy to locate, others remained distant for a reason or another. However, the siblings managed to gather them all in the end. They met at the mess hall in the garrison for a quick reunion and toast. They toasted to those that fell in previous war, of course that would only be Shimei. After the war, Chrom and Lissa learned that Emmeryn survived her execution, but with her memory and speech in shambles. Even Say'ri was once again reunited with her brother, or more precisely, an alternate timeline of Yen'fay.

"Alright, everyone, I hope you know why I called you all here." Chrom declared to the Shepherds.

"It's for the festival, right?!" Nowi exclaimed.

"Nowi, come on, try to simmer down woulda'?" Her husband, Donnel, asked.

"~Festival, Festival! Buy some food and eat al'~!" Nowi chanted while bouncing on the bench.

It was refreshing that she was still as upbeat as ever; refreshing...to some extent.

"*Ahem* Yes, well, that IS the main reason. However, this is in the honor of Shimei. While I want you to relax and enjoy yourself, remember, your behavior is of key-importance." Chrom warned.

He specifically stared at Donnel and Nowi, who began to slump in their chairs when the noticed the glare. The rest of the Shepherds gave a few words in Shimei's name and then left for the festival. It was to be held in the fields where Chrom, Lissa, and Fredrick first met Shimei. As the group walked, a few could be seen chatting amongst themselves.

* * *

"They're really pulling all the stops out, aren't they?" Stahl asked Cherche, as the couple move forward in the crowd.

"Well, only such is necessary. Besides, aren't you one to talk? Didn't spend weeks learning my culture just to impress me?" Cherche responded with a giggle.

"H-hey! I was desperate okay?" Stahl stammered with a slight blush. As he looked the opposite direction, he noticed Ayaka in the crowd.

_Haven't talked with her since the big fight..._ Stahl thought to himself.

"Hey, I'm going to go speak with Ayaka." Stahl stated to Cherche. His voice was demanding, but seemed more like a question of approval.

"Alright, go ahead. Just remember our golden rule. Try any of that fiery passion on another girl and..." Cherche trailed off. As she spoke she made a hand sign that looked like a dragon.

Stahl gulped, nodded, and went over to Ayaka.

Ayaka's appearance seemed like she handled Shimei's choice well. She was prepared to sacrifice herself, but Shimei never gave her the chance. Ayaka bared the _Heart of Grima_ as well, but that faded after the battle. Since then she's been rather distant and quite. She said very little as if she was ill and never really smiled when she thought she was by herself. However, when someone talked to her, she would put a fake smile and pretend nothing was wrong. Stahl was determined to break her from her depression. He didn't know Ayaka personally like Henry or Libra, but it wasn't in his nature to leave a friend in need.

Stahl wasn't the only one who wanted to speak with Ayaka. Virion had set his sights on her as well, since all of his other "destined partners" had been married off and had future kids. The former Duke was in high spirits for someone who lost his power to his previous assistant, Cherche.

Along with the Archest of Archers was Tharja. Tharja never got over her affiliation for Ayaka, even after marrying Libra. It was rather creepy, actually, but then what wasn't creepy about Tharja? A year of separation turned Tharja into a lost puppy after seeing Ayaka; a lost, stalker puppy.

Ayaka didn't mind the constant hollow compliments or unsettling stalking, because her mind was clouded. For the first week after the war, she wouldn't stop cursing Shimei's name. A year later, she just questions if he'll ever return. Shimei was the only family member she had left. She had never settled down like Shimei had planned to do with Lissa, and as such turned into a bit of a sloth. Since she was now an in-law, Chrom and Lissa gave her lodging in the castle. Ayaka just nodded. She never was sure why Shimei's disappearance had done this to her. Maybe it was the fact that someone with so much waiting for him, gave all of it up when she could have instead. Maybe it was the loss of a cherished brother. Regardless how she appeared was contradicting how she felt.

Stahl approached Ayaka with that same, plain smile.

"Ho there Ayaka!" Stahl yelled getting her attention.

"Oh, Stahl. Hey there, how have you been?" Ayaka asked in response.

"Eh, same old same old, how about you?" Stahl replied.

"O-oh...um, good." Ayaka stated. Her response was unsettling. She had hoped to avoid how she had been.

"Hey, so I was wondering...do you want to hang out at the festival?" Stahl asked calmly.

"Wouldn't Cherche be mad at you for going out with some girl other than her?" Ayaka asked pointing behind him.

Stahl turned to the crowd behind him. Cherche stood out instantly. He took notice of her innocent-looking face as she mouthed something.

_Dead. Man._

A sweat rolled down Stahl's neck.

"Oh, yeah..." Stahl mumbled nervously.

"It's alright Stahl, thank you though. It's nice to have someone checking on me." Ayaka stated with a chuckle.

"MY dear, all you need to do is ask, and I will cater to EVERY whim! Even those more dark o-OOF" Virion tried to state out of the blue, before being punched by Ayaka.

"Again though, thank you. Now, you'd better run off, I think Cherche is unsheathing a sword..." Ayaka stated.

Stahl turned to confirm this and quickly ran to his wife.

"C-Cherche, please! Put the sword down!" he yelled.

Ayaka turned back to the exit of the Garrison. She then silently followed the crowd to the festival.

"It's going to be a long night..." Ayaka mumbled.

"Only if you want it to-" Virion stated, before Ayaka drop kicked him.


	2. Lissa

The festival was overflowing with camaraderie. Each stand had crowds gathering for the attractions. The pitch-black sky was decorated with an orange glow from the torches. As if a spell had been cast on the entire fair; there was no one in ill spirits. However, a sense of gloom cascaded the few who truly knew the reason behind the festival. The family of Shimei would always feel this way, but perhaps tonight those feelings will change.

Lissa sauntered around the festival. Usually, if there was festival, she would beam around with a smile and laugh. Now, she could barely put up a smirk. Lissa had visited a few of the stands, spoke with some of the Shepherds and bought food to snack on. However, every time she went to a stand or spoke to a fellow Shepherd, they usually had another in their arms. It was cruel, but Lissa kept a straight face through it all.

Lissa shuffled through the crowd. It had grown larger in the middle of the fair, probably because something was going out of stock. After finally escaping the consuming crowd, she noticed something stand-out among the crowd. A figure was walking around in a dark-purple Plegian cloak with a gold finish on the end of the sleeves and tails. There was only one person she knew that wore that cloak. Tears filled her eyes as she was overcome with happiness.

"Shimei!" Lissa shouted as she ran to the figure. She immediately pulled the figure into a hug.

"Shimei, I knew you'd come back! Why didn't come see me first?!" Lissa cried practically suffocating the figure.

The figure gave off a yelp in response, but something was off about the yelp. It sounded too feminine. Lissa turned the figure around to reveal it was Olivia. Realizing her mistake, Lissa began apologizing.

"I-I'm sorry, Olivia. I thought you were Shimei..." Lissa trailed off.

Olivia, being the apologetic butterfly she is, rebutted with her own apology.

"N-no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been parading around in this cloak..." Olivia mumbled.

"Olivia, it's fine. No harm, no...wait. Where DID you get that cloak?" Lissa asked.

"Oh, Anna is selling them at a stand up ahead. Here I'll take you there!" Olivia stated cheerfully.

"Wait, Anna's selling wha-HEY!" Lissa yelled.

Olivia quickly grabbed Lissa's forearm and began to pull the pony-tailed cleric further. Lissa was dragged for a minute or two before arriving at another stand. The stand was packed, and created a wall of different villagers trying to get into what could vaguely be called a line. At the source of the problem, Anna was frantically handing out cloaks and raking in cash. Shouting could be heard left and right.

"Hey I was next!"

"No, I was!"

"Out of the way! Out of the way!"

"Nowi let go them guys' collars!"

Lissa and Olivia merely watched the carnage unfold. When Anna noticed the two from a distance, she initiated her contingency plan.

"Alright everyone, that's it! We are official out of stock! Come back in an hour, and we'll have more." Anna yelled to the crowd.

Several boos and complaints could be heard as the crowd began to dissipate. When the storm had finally passed, Anna went up to the two.

"Oh, Lissa, how are you?" Anna asked spryly. She was hoping Lissa wouldn't put two and two together on the situation.

"I'm fine, and...Apparently, so are you." Lissa said looking over Anna's shoulder to see the pile of money she had made.

"Yes, I've become quite the cash cow, haven't I?" Anna added jokingly.

"Your definitely impressive, Anna. I didn't think these cloaks would sell, but there's something so charming about them!" Olivia cheered wrapping her new cloak around her.

"Yes, well I made it with love..." Anna replied.

"Pretty sure Avarice doesn't count." A voice coldly stated behind them.

The three turned to see Gerome.

"Oh, well if it isn't everyone's favorite ray of sunshine. How's it going Gerome?" Anna asked with dry sarcasm.

"Fine..." Gerome replied with a scowl.

"O-okay then...Oh! Your order is here." Anna remembered reaching under the stand.

She shifted around for a bit trying to find the item. She let out a victorious "Ahah!" and pulled out another cloak. The cloak looked like the others, but on the back was a heart with the words "minervykins" inside it. Several chuckles could be heard from Olivia and Lissa, but was stamped out by Gerome's stare.

"T-thank you." Gerome said with a blush. He quickly grabbed the cloak, handed Anna the money, and ran off in the opposite direction.

"Poor guy needs to learn to breathe." Anna said watching the wyvern rider run off.

"Oh, Lissa here, I have one for you too." Anna remembered handing Lissa a cloak.

The cloak was torn more than the others. Visible seams from repair could be seen. Lissa felt like she was being given the first attempt of the cloaks. Besides she still had her husbands, so she didn't need some knock off.

"Uh, thanks Anna. But I have Shimei's so..." Lissa trailed off trying to sound as less unappreciative as possible.

"Oh, I know that. This IS Shimei's cloak." Anna said putting it around Lissa's shoulders.

"Wait, What?" Lissa asked with an upset tone.

"Well, how'd think I'd make all these copies? I kinda-sorta had to break into your room...to get it, sorry." Anna chuckled.

Lissa let out a sigh.

"I WOULD be mad, if I didn't expect this from you." Lissa admitted.

"Well, this has been fun...but I better be going. Lon'Qu's entering the sparring contest later so I need to go cheer him on." Olivia stated.

"Oh right, Owain said he was going to enter to." Lissa remembered.

"Hey, why don't we go together?" Olivia offered.

"Sure I could use the company." Lissa admitted.

After saying their good-byes to Anna, the two went off on their way. A few minutes later, the previous crowd reappeared and with it more chaos. Amidst it, she picked up one person in particular, but the crowd made it impossible to see clearly.

"Excuse me, one tactician cloak, please." A familiar voice said.

"Uh, sure, yeah, here you go." Anna said handing the figure a cloak.

"Sure takes me back. Just like that time in Valm." The voice laughed before fading into the crowd.

"Wait...what? Anna asked in confusion.

She couldn't pry on the figure as the crowd began to grow more restless.


	3. Lucina

**...I got nothing.**

* * *

Near the southwest of the festival, closest to the nearest town, was a wooded area. The area was decorated with torches, banners, and a fenced in box area in the center of it all. It was a competition of swordsmanship, and the contestants were as lively as they were plentiful. The competition would begin in twenty minutes, giving the fighters time to prepare.

"Finally, a chance to show my GREATNESS has arrived!" Owain beckoned to himself.

He made no effort to be subtle about his monologue. If anything about Owain was subtle in the first place. Behind him, and suffering through each second was Chrom and Lon'Qu sitting on one of the benches set out for the contestants. The two didn't talk much, but one conversation did come into play.

"So, I hear your wife is entering?" Lon'Qu asked with a slight tone of nervousness.

Chrom glanced back and gave a slight chuckle.

"You afraid you're going to have to fight her?" he asked with mocking tone.

"Are you?" Lon'Qu rebutted quickly.

Chrom came to the realization, and a sweat rolled down his neck. He gave a nod with a look of fear and disgust.

"Hah! I for one relish the chance to fight my dear aunt in combat!" Owain stated, interjecting himself into the conversation.

"You say that now Owain, but when you step into the ring...Sully won't treat you like a nephew. She will in the infirmary afterwards though." Chrom laughed.

Owain fringed.

The three weren't the only swordsman enjoying the fair. Further back to the stands and games, two very similar characters were making their way through the crowd.

"Marth, Come on! Papa's fighting soon, and I wanna see him lose to momma!" Lucina said dragging her older self with all of her tiny might.

Before Lucina pulled something from the strain, Marth decided to stop her younger self. It was still a weird feeling, not many people get to spend the day with their past self.

"Lucina, it's not like the tournament is going anywhere. We have time." Marth chuckled.

"B-but what if papa's match with mama is first?" Lucina asked while catching her breath.

"_Pretty sure they wouldn't destroy the ring in the first round..." _Marth thought to herself.

"So, come on Marth! It's go time, now time!" Lucina stated, resuming her strain on pulling her "aunt".

"Alright, alright, let's go." Marth said giving in to her "niece's" demands.

The two walked forward, shifting through the crowd of people. Occasionally, Marth would stop to talk to some of the Shepherds still loitering around the stands; namely Gaius at the candy shop's stand. They wouldn't stay long because Lucina would hastily pull the other away from them.

When the torches and banners could be seen from a distance, Lucina became ecstatic. She released her grip from Marth and mad-dashed forward. Shouting could be heard from Marth, but were ultimately shut out by her younger self. Lucina just kept running until-

*THWACK*

Lucina bounced back to the ground after running into a person.

"Ouchies!" Lucina yelled rubbing her nose.

"Oh, sorry didn't see you there." The person responded holding a hand out to the child.

"Lucina!" Marth yelled catching up to the two.

She had watched the scene unfold, and felt the need to be the voice of reason.

"Terribly sorry for my niece, she was just excited." Lucina explained.

The person picked up Lucina onto her feet, and she quickly ran behind Marth. A slight blush was seen on her face.

The two laughed.

"Sorry, she gets a little shy when meeting new people." Marth explained.

"It's fine. You were the same way, remember?" the stranger added.

"...What did you say?" Marth asked in confusion.

Before the two could continue, Lucina let out a scream. Marth quickly looked to her younger self to see her scurrying around for something.

"What's wrong?" Marth asked frantically.

"My tiara- I lost my tiara!" Lucina whined.

"What?!" Marth asked in a shocked tone.

The two then began to look around the feet of the crowd for the Ylissean tiara. The stranger merely watched the two. He started to step back, when he felt something under his foot. He kicked the object toward Lucina, who immediately turned to see her tiara.

"Found it!" Lucina yelled with glee.

Marth let out a sigh of relief, and turned her attention back to the figure. However, the person had already left without them noticing.

"_Could it have been him?_" Marth thought to herself.

"Hey, Lucin- I mean Marth!" a voice called to the blue-haired woman.

The person yelling was none other than Lissa's daughter Morgan. She and Brady hadn't been seen for a while. They couldn't even make it to the gathering before the festival, because of their distance apart from Brady's concerts. She seemed less depressed after the final battle. Of course, she had Brady to comfort her, who was a surprisingly good listener.

"Oh, Morgan, it's good to see you. How have you been?" Marth asked.

"Fine, Brady finally finished his tour, so we should be visiting more often. How have my brother and Severa been?"

"Well, Owain's been...Owain, and Severa...is still Severa." Marth stated.

She couldn't really put the eccentricity of Owain or the attitude of Severa into words. It would explain how the two get along so well.

Morgan glanced down at Lucina, who wouldn't take her eyes off Morgan. Morgan decided to introduce herself to the little princess.

"And who do we have here?" Morgan asked with a smile, pretending not to know.

Lucina quickly buried her head in Marth's cape.

"This is Lucina. She's grown a bit since you last saw her hasn't she?" Marth explained.

"Well hello, Lucina, I'm Morgan. I'm your Uncle's...friend." Morgan stated.

"But momma says Gregor is a bum, who has no friends." Lucina said before being interrupted.

"Lucina!" Marth yelled in a correcting tone.

Lucina let out a yelp, and ran to Morgan.

"Hah, Lu-Marth, you had to expect this much with Sully as a mother. I remember when Inigo really annoyed you with his flirting..." Morgan continued.

The two's conversation was drowned out by Lucina, who noticed two people in the crowd.

"Aunt Lissa! Aunt Lissa! ...And the dancing lady!" Lucina yelled.

The two took notice and joined the other three.

"Hello, Lucina, you ready for the game?" Lissa asked, while giving her a hug.

Lucina gave Lissa a cheerful nod.

"We were actually on our way now, are you?" Lucina asked.

"Yeah, Owain and Lon'Qu are entering as well." Lissa explained.

"Well, then let's get going, I think Brady said he'd show up for the results. So, I can rendezvous with him, and watch Owain. It'll be perfect." Morgan added.

She quickly grabbed her mother's hand and began to pull her forward.

"Of course, I want to catch up with you along the way, Mother."

"_Still as talkative and energetic as ever..."_ Lissa thought to herself.

As the group moved forward, Marth was lost in thought. She thought about the figure that Lucina bumped into.

"_He...knew me. Could it have been...?" _ Lucina thought to herself.

She started to open her mouth, and then she looked at how happy Morgan and Lissa looked.

"_No. If I'm wrong, I'll only be hurting them instead of helping, if uncle was really back; he wouldn't hesitate to see us...wouldn't he?"_

* * *

**So for those that don't know, I renamed this chapter Lucina. Its fitting. Morgan didn't have a significant role to play, so I'll give her one later. I should probably be getting to that pre-mentioned fluff shouldn't I? Eh, I won't know if it is. Half the stuff I write, I think is crap. So, I guess that means I'm doing a good job?**


	4. Owain

The long-awaited competition had finally commenced. A large crowd gathered around the wooden fence that caged the fighters. The arena well lit by numerous torches and stars that reflected off the dew on the leaves and grass.

Owain and Lon'Qu took the stage for the first round. The rules were announced by Frederick, who acted as a referee to the event, beforehand. Contestants fight until one surrenders, or is incapable of continuing. Their weapons would be wooden training swords, and nothing else. Both warriors took the rules to heart, and prepared their strategies. Well, Lon'Qu did. Owain planned what clever lines he would spout and what moves he would perform.

The two wished the opposite luck, and readied their stances. The crowd silenced for the standstill. Frederick raised his arm, and then quickly swung downward while simultaneously yelling "Begin!"

"Let's go Lon'Qu!" Owain yelled as he charged forward.

As eccentric as he was, Owain was still a gifted fighter. With speed from his swordmaster father, and strength from his war cleric mother-Owain would definitely be a challenge.

Owain quickly used the force of the charge to perform a lunge, but Lon'Qu immediately sidestepped and let Owain's blade skid across his own. When the force finally dissipated, Lon'Qu swung wide to strike Owain's back. However, Owain noticed, and quickly turned to match the attack with his own. The impact was strong, and a few splinters could be seen on the ground from the force. It was obvious the training tools wouldn't hold up as long as the fighters would.

Lon'Qu and Owain clashed repeatedly for several minutes. Neither being able to land a decisive blow, but still pressuring the opposite from taking the lead. After a while, Owain jumped back to escape the clash. Lon'Qu readied himself for Owain's next move.

"You've fought well, my comrade. I am honored to do battle. BUT! I must obtain victory in the name of father. His final words still echo as if uttered yesterday. 'Owain, my legacy is yours. Take it, and bear the honor that follows.' So, I must conclude our battle with one last attack!" Owain proclaimed in monologue.

Lissa and Morgan let out a sigh. They both knew Owain wasn't telling the truth about Shimei. However, if it motivated him that much, there wasn't much they could do. At least he stayed in high spirits.

Owain charged forward again in the same pattern he began the fight with. Lon'Qu prepared to parry like before. Owain smirked, he quickly jumped, and twist around so his strike would land opposite to Lon'Qu's attack. He thought he had won, but Lon'Qu sidestepped. Owain continued forward, and fell flat on his face. The audience flinched as a loud thud could be heard following the fall.

"...You okay?" Lon'Qu asked. It sounded apathetic, but he did hold a bit of concern.

"Aye...you may have...bested me...in the field of dodging, but I remain superior as far as endurance! I have my legendary blood to thank for that!" Owain said quickly recovering.

Suddenly, a whistling noise from Frederick disrupted the two.

"Match, Lon'qu!" Frederick declared to the audience.

"What?!" Owain yelled in confusion.

He looked down to see that he had landed on his blade, and shattered it from where Lon'Qu and him clashed. Owain dramatically fell on all fours.

"Is this how my legacy ends? Outdone by a mere technicality?...Father." Owain mumbled in defeat.

Lon'Qu walked over to Owain. Owain looked up to the victor, and looming over him was Lon'Qu's hand. Owain smiled and took the offer. The two shook and congratulated the other. A roar from the audience could be heard.

Owain left the ring and walked over to Lissa and Morgan.

"That was AMAZING Owain!" Morgan stated with excitement ringing in her voice. She acted like she was talking to a celebrity. A small blush could be since on Owain's face.

"It wasn't my greatest moment, but one I will learn from...Yes! Truly like a phoenix, I will be reborn from the cinders of defeat, and set the fields of victory ablaze!" Owain replied with gusto.

Lissa and Morgan laughed.

"Still, I'm sure your father would be very proud...just like I am...aw, c'mere!" Lissa said pulling Owain into a bear hug.

"Ouch, mother! Remember your own strength!" Owain yelped while trying to break free of his mother's grasp.

"Yay! Group hug!" Morgan added joining in on the hug, much to Owain's disapproval.

"It was an excellent first match, Owain. Lon'Qu won't ever admit it, but you had him worried for a second." Olivia added reassuringly.

"You mean with the fall?" Owain asked in confusion, accepting his family's literal binding affection.

"No, throughout the match, he does see you as someone with talent. Maybe, you should ask him to train you?" Olivia suggested.

Owain shook his head in disagreement.

"Sorry, but father promised to teach me, and I'm holding him to that promise." Owain stated with a composed tone.

Lissa merely stood in awe at her son. Was he showing more faith in Shimei than she was?

Suddenly, something caught Morgan's eye. It was the cloak that Olivia had been wearing. She was so caught up in getting to the tournament that she forgot to ask. Olivia informed her of Anna's stand, and that they were selling out fast.

"Sounds like we better hurry then, huh?" Marth suggested to Morgan.

"Lissa can you watch Lucina until I get back?" Marth asked.

Lissa nodded and picked her niece, who had practically latched to Lissa's side when she heard that. The two future children quickly made their way back to the stands. They needed to hurry back or they would miss the final round of the night.

The festival has almost concluded. However, more surprises still await the royal family.


	5. Morgan

**Alright, five chapters down, and I'm feeling good about this. This is where the fluff happens. I just listened to piano/orchestral music, watched the ending to fate/zero and read Matchmaker (Which you should totally read by the way...I mean seriously why haven't you? It's by Alisa180, and you could find it literally as easily as you find this...what are waiting for? Go, now!) if I don't rewrite something just slightly heart-nudging, then I must have a brick for a heart. Anyway, onto the chapter!**

* * *

The fourth round of the competition had finally ended. During round two, Chrom made quick work of Stahl, whose easy going tactics couldn't match the prince's form. Round three was won by Sully, and she nearly put Inigo in the hospital. However, he was asking for it when he began flirting with the girls outside the ring and ignoring Sully. Finally the fourth round, which decided who would go on to the semi-finals was won by default to an anonymous, who didn't show up. However, his opponent, Kellam, strangely forfeited. The semi-finals would be Lon'Qu versus Sully and Chrom versus the anonymous if they ever arrived.

Morgan and Lucina made their purchase at Anna's stand. The two managed to get their cloaks before another crowd appeared, but there was still a line to wait in. After the line faded, Morgan and Lucina stopped to chat with the merchant for a second.

"So, why didn't you enter, Anna? You're pretty good with a sword; and fast on your feet." Morgan asked.

"There wasn't a cash prize, so why bother? That would mean less money I made her scammin- I mean selling these people cloaks!" Anna stated with a laugh.

"Well, we better get going. We'll miss the rest of the fight if we stay much longer." Lucina reminded.

Morgan nodded, and followed Lucina back to the forest. However, she stopped again when she saw another familiar face.

"Oh, oh! Auntie Ayaka! Hey, Auntie!" Morgan yelled with excitement as she ran to her beloved aunt.

She managed to catch Ayaka's attention. However, Ayaka didn't count on Morgan tripping and falling into her.

"Uh, s-sorry, Auntie!" Morgan said quickly getting off her aunt.

Ayaka merely gave a small laugh, and picked herself up.

"With how you stumble, I'd have an easier time thinking you were Sumia's kid." Ayaka chuckled messing up Morgan's hair.

Morgan replied with a joking punch in the ribs.

"O-ouch, ok, jeez, it's good to see you too." Ayaka stated hugging her niece.

"Are you going to the tournament? It's almost over now." Lucina asked her aunt-in-law.

"Nah, I'm actually heading the opposite way. I'm going to see Anna, and then stop by 'his' grave." Ayaka admitted in a depressed tone.

The mood suddenly shifted, the two future children remembered the cause of the festival; their smiles contorting to miserable frowns. Ayaka immediately noticed their faces.

"...Sorry, I-I really need to go." She said hugging her nieces and walking off.

Lucina paused for a second and looked at Morgan. A tear could be seen forming. Lucina needed to take Morgan's mind off Shimei. She noticed among the festival litter and rocks there was a piece of paper. She nonchalantly began to walk forward.

_Okay, I just have to slip. That'll get her laughing! Now, how does Sumia do it? Is there a process or do I just-_

"WAH!" Lucina yelled as she lost her balance while thinking.

Morgan ran over to Lucina, and helped her up.

"Heh, guess we need to not give Sumia such a hard time, huh?" Lucina chuckled hoping to provoke Morgan into doing the same.

"Lucina..." Morgan mumbled "You didn't have to fall like that to cheer me up."

Lucina cursed under her tongue. Morgan had seen through her deception like it was nothing. She had not lost any skill even after the war.

"You saw through it that easily?" Lucina asked dusting her new cloak off.

"Hard not to, you're much more composed than that." Morgan complimented. "Still, it was nice of you to do so."

Lucina and Morgan giggled and made their way back to forest. They would probably miss the rest of the tournament, but at least they didn't lose their good spirits.

Meanwhile, Sully was making quick work of Lon'Qu back in the forest. Olivia did her best to cheer on her husband, but it wasn't enough to get over Sully's gender. Lon'Qu could usually ignore it in battle since it was kill or be killed. However, it was not. His gynophobia was his Achilles heel, and Sully was about to cut the tendon, quite literally actually.

"Come on, Lon'Qu. Do I have you scared already?" Sully mocked.

"..." Lon'Qu tried to remain stoic, but he was more timid than Ricken when Vaike dared him to go in the women's bathing tent.

"Lon'Qu's not doing so hot, is he?" Lissa asked rhetorically.

"Hard to believe he's MY father..." Inigo chimed in.

Sully ran toward Lon'Qu to close the distance. She held up her sword horizontally to her left to provoke Lon'Qu to jump right. However, Lon'Qu flipped over Sully instead, catching her off guard. However, she threw the wooden blade like a spear and nicked Lon'Qu's side. The blade travelled a few more feet, and finally scraped on the ground.

"Damn, missed him by just an inch..." Sully mumbled to herself, as she walked over to her sword.

She knew Lon'Qu wouldn't attack her, even if she was a boy, when she was unharmed.

"You know...throwing your sword won't do you any good in a real fight..." Lon'Qu stated nervously.

"Yeah..." Sully said picking up the training weapon, "...but knowing your enemies weakness and exploiting it does."

"Then I guess I better pick up the pace. If I let you beat me because of that, Basilio will never let me hear the end of it." Lon'Qu admitted with a confident smirk.

He readied his stance.

"Hold up, big shot, you act the damn fights already yours!" Sully retorted as she readied her own.

The audience cheers rose at the standstill. On the right side, men continued to chant Sully's name. While, women chanted Lon'Qu's. Both ignored the noises around them. All that mattered was the person in front them.

Both charged forward with full force. Sully went in for a stab, but Lon'Qu ducked and let the two blades skid. He then swept Sully's legs with the sword, knocking her to the ground. He began to stab at the ground repeatedly, but Sully rolled to avoid contact. She quickly regained her footing.

_Damn, he's a lot faster than I thought..._ Sully thought as she began to lose control of the fight.

Lon'Qu's relentless barrage did not cease. He continued to perform stabbing motions that Sully could only dodge.

_But...what I lack in speed...I make up for in strength!_

She quickly rushed at Lon'Qu. He stabbed forward; scratching across Sully's left cheek. However, Sully had successfully smacked the side of her blade across Lon'Qu's side. He quickly fell to the ground, grasping his side.

Olivia went in a panic. She quickly jumped over the fence and ran to Lon'Qu. Before she could reach him, he began to stand up.

"Har, you're tough...I'll give you that." Sully laughed feeling the cut on her cheek, "You're like a damn dragon."

"Thank you Sully, but you're no easier." Lon'Qu replied holding his side, "It's like fighting a tiger."

"Ready to go again?" Sully asked readied herself.

"Do you even have to ask?" Lon'Qu replied.

Chrom watched the two warriors with anticipation and a slight bit of fear. Either one could win and face him in the finals.

"No. I should focus on my match, on the off chance the guy shows up." Chrom mumbled to himself.

"And what makes you so sure it's a guy?" a voice said from behind.

Chrom turned to see Lissa. He noticed her smile, and felt the same appear on his face. He was happy to she was out of her rut.

"Sorry, you're right man or woman, I'll welcome the challenge the same." Chrom stated in a rather cliché form.

"Gosh, you're so bland." Lissa said jokingly.

The two siblings shared in a laugh together. Something they hadn't done in a while. Lissa's smile changed to a light frown, putting Chrom on the edge.

"You know...I bet he would have wanted to fight you as much as you do..." Lissa admitted clenching onto Shimei's cloak.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that WHEN he comes back." Chrom said with a confident, reassuring smile.

Lissa looked up at her brother to see a smile reinforced by faith and belief.

_Just like Owain..._ she thought.

"Huh, did you say something, Lissa?" Chrom asked.

"Oh, no, just thinking...Hey, Chrom?" Lissa asked.

"Yes?"

"How can you be so sure Shimei will-I mean- where does the belief that he'll come back come from?"

"..."

"Well?"

"In truth? It doesn't come from anywhere."

"Huh?"

"I believe in Shimei, just as he had faith in me during our fight together. No matter how rash or forgetful I was, he stood behind and picked up the pieces I'd drop. Together; him, me, our friends and family, we created the peace we live in now. It's the battles we fought that give me the strength to keep searching, even after a year..."

"Oh..."

"Have you given up?"

"...As of late..."

"Why?"

"Because Chrom! It's different when you're friends with someone! I've been with him through the worst of it, we've cried, laughed, and spent nights together. He was my husband. *sniff* after all that...to wake up every day for a year a-and...*sniff*"

Chrom pulled her into a hug. While she sobbed into his shoulder, let out a tear or two as well. He had always thought she was hurt by Shimei's choice, but that was incorrect. She was broken. Worst of all, she had given up on him.

The audience didn't notice; they were too wrapped up in the fight. They didn't need to, however. This was a moment reserved for brother and sister alone. One that was long overdue at that.

* * *

**Morgan, I don't know what it is with you. Whenever I name a chapter after you, another character upstages you. I don't know what I'm going to do about your one shot- OOPS!**


	6. Chrom

**Hey guys! Almost finished! I'd say another two chapters should wrap up this story quite nicely.**

* * *

Lon'Qu and Sully's match continued endlessly. Eventually, the two collapsed from exhaustion, which resulted in a tie. Therefore, Chrom's match would decide the winner. Despite being anti-climactic, the crowd was teeming with high expectation of their prince. Especially after the show his wife had put on. Of course, no matter how pumped Chrom became, it would do no good if his opponent never showed.

Morgan and Lucina finally managed to return to the forest. They had noticed the stands closing down, meaning the festival was reaching its completion. The two learned of the end result from the previous match, and went over to pep talk Chrom, and to flaunt their new tactician's cloaks as well.

"Father, I wish you the best of luck." Lucina said with a cheerful tone.

"Uncle, I bet the other guy was so scared of facing you, he won't even show!" Morgan stated confidently.

Chrom smiled at the attention he was getting from the two.

The pep talk was interrupted when a figure began to enter the ring. He wore a tactician's cloak, much like everyone else in the festival, but wore it over his head to cover his face. Nothing else was discernible about the enigma.

Chrom went over to talk with his would-be opponent.

"So, you are the anonymous that I'll be fighting?"

"..."

"I'm Chrom. What is your name?"

"There's no need for an introduction. I am well aware of the identity of my own king."

"Right, well, it was just in good spirit...can you spare your name?"

"...Sorry, can't say I feel like sharing."

"...Very well, I wish you luck just the same." Chrom finished walking off from the figure.

Chrom continued to his corner of the fence, where Lissa was waiting for him. She was wiping her eyes with a hanky. No doubt, she was still recovering from her "episode" from before. After Chrom spoke to her for a second, he noticed the figure's stare was locked on the two of them. Chrom watched as the figure approached them.

"Back again?" Chrom asked in a joking manner.

"...No, I...What happened to her?" the figure asked with a touch of concern.

"Its personal matters and I would appreciate it staying that way." Chrom stated defensively.

"She looks like she lost something..." The figure mumbled, continuing to carry the subject.

"Didn't I just- Wait, how did you know?" Chrom asked.

The figure continued to look at Lissa, who tried her best to make eye contact back, but she couldn't even see his eyes.

"Ah, yes, you're Lissa, correct? So, that means your husband was Shimei." The figure asked bluntly.

"Was AND still is!" Lissa snapped in response.

Chrom merely watched in silence at his sister's sudden outburst.

"Right, right, don't speak ill of the dead and all that. Anyway, I need to get ready...I look forward to our match, Chrom." The character finished walking off back to his corner.

"...Same here." Chrom mentioned quietly.

Morgan waited for him to be a good distance away before commenting.

"Geez, he was such a total creep! How dare he just walk up to mother and say all that?"

"You alright?" Chrom asked turning his attention to Lissa.

Lissa didn't hear Chrom's question, she was lost in thought.

"Hello? Lissa? Hey, Lissa!" Chrom yelled shaking his sister for her attention.

Lissa quickly snapped back into reality.

"...Huh? What? Oh, Chrom, sorry..."

"You still out of it?" Chrom asked feeling his sisters head, "If you're sick, I can take you to see a healer. I think Maribelle is in the area..." Chrom offered to spite his sister.

When Lissa heard Maribelle's name, she immediately shot up. If Maribelle thought she was sick, Lissa wouldn't hear the end of it.

"N-no! No! I'm fine, a-o-k!" Lissa chanted.

The humor of the siblings was interrupted by a piercing ring of a bell. Chrom turned to see Frederick gathering everyone's attention. After the crowd gathered, he made his announcement.

"Everyone, the final round will now commence! Originally, there were to be two more rounds...however, two of the contestants can no longer continue. So now the second round of the semi-finals will be the final and deciding fight. In the left corner, our Ylissean Exalt himself, Prince Chrom! His opponent, in the right corner, the mysterious enigma that left Kellam shaking in his boots-"

"Oh come on, I wasn't scared or anything..." Kellam protested quietly. Not that anyone would have noticed anyway.

"His name is...beg pardon, sir, we don't have a name listed. Could you spare the audience your name?" Frederick asked the challenger.

The figure gazed at the crowd around him. He managed to see a large number of the Shepherds, excluding Chrom's family, present. He gaze an unsettling, confident smile.

"Of course, Frederick. I guess if we were to be blunt about it...my name is Shimei." Shimei announced nonchalantly.

The crowd immediately came to a standstill. The audience's sudden silence was nerve-wracking. No one could quite process what the man had just said. Eventually, Frederick spoke.

"*Ahem* Very well, the final match will be Chrom against Shimei!"

"Wait, just a second!" Chrom shouted in protest. Everyone turned to see the prince with an irritated look. "You're Shimei? On what grounds do you make such a bold claim?!"

Several in the crowd joined in agreement. They were demanding proof that he was who he claimed to be. When "Shimei" caught wind of the disbelief, he merely began to laugh; very maniacally actually.

"Oh? You want proof? Here's your proof then!" Shimei said removing the hood of his cloak.

The crowd was silent again. It was Shimei. He had all of Shimei's facial features. The skin was slightly tan, but mostly pasty. Regular short hair with that one noticeable curl in the center. The hair's color was a pink-tinted grey. His eyes were correct as well, a light chest-nut brown. Everything added up, even his voice matched.

In disbelief, Chrom could only mutter, "...Shimei..."

Much in the same Lissa could only stutter out, "N-no..."

Shimei reached for the wooden practice sword and readied a Myrmidon stance. He pointed his blade at Chrom.

"So, old pal, ready to begin?"

* * *

**DUN DUN DUNNNNN! What a (obvious) twist!**


	7. Shimei?

**...what? Oh, oh right. So sorry to those who I said this would be up yesterday, but I just got a notice that I have a week to finish my 250 page summer reading assignment. Then, I have to do the questions on the assignment page each with a critical thinking essay question. Not to mention running at 5 am to 7 am. So, not to put all my problems on the table like this, but Full House.**

* * *

Chrom stared in disbelief at his opponent from across the ring. His expectation of Shimei's return was a pat on the shoulder and a "Welcome back, friend!" Instead, the first thing they would do is cross blades. Chrom didn't want that. Neither did Lissa, Owain, Morgan, or any of the Shepherds. However, the citizens did. If Shimei's plan was to draw out all questions in the roar of the crowd, he had succeeded beautifully.

"Is that really Father?" Morgan asked in skepticism.

Owain looked at Shimei from different angles that his neck allowed and reached a sound conclusion.

"It looks like him, but he doesn't look like him." Owain babbled. Perhaps "sound" wasn't the best word.

Morgan and Lucina only stared at their eccentric family member in confusion.

"I understand what Owain is saying." Lissa stated still looking at Chrom and Shimei. She had propped one elbow on the railing to support her head while the other arm laid next to it.

"There something about him that doesn't mix well."

"Now, let us commence the final mat-" Frederick began before being interrupted by Chrom.

"Wait! I want a word with Shimei first." Chrom ordered.

Frederick immediately stood down at the request, and allowed the brief tête-à-tête to play out.

Chrom walked forward to the tactician. The few feet that separated them felt like miles with all the questions racing through his mind.

_Why was Shimei returning now? Why is fighting me the first thing on his mind? Why? Why? Why?!_

Chrom stopped a few inches in front of Shimei, who stilled held a smug, almost thuggish smile on his face. Everything about him matched, except his thought patterns. His process was completely different from the quiet book reader Chrom had known. Chrom stood silently, mouth slightly a gap, showing a clear loss of words.

"Freezing up, eh? Didn't you want this little chit-chat?" Shimei asked in a taunting manner.

Chrom bit his tongue at the comment. Finally, he put a coherent thought together to ask his friend.

"Shimei, what's with you? You weren't one for spectacles like this…or fighting for that matter."

"Well a person can change when they brush death on her shoulder." Shimei sneered. His tone and mannerisms was a clear sign he wasn't taking any of it seriously.

Chrom clenched his fist. Shimei was always more reasonable than this, but this man was different. Chrom placed more thought in the situation, and reached a conclusion. His clenched fist loosened and his posture dignified.

"I don't believe you." Chrom stated bluntly, "You're not Shimei."

Shimei stared at Chrom with an angry look. Clearly, the Lord had hit a nerve. Clenched fist and teeth bared, Shimei shot back his rebuttle.

"Who are you to tell me that?!" Shimei barked. The argument was growing more heated by the second.

Frederick took notice of this and rang the bell next to him. He cleared his throat and gave out his terms.

"That's enough! Any further strife between the contestants can be solved in the fight, which we have postponed long enough. Milord! I must ask you to return to your side of the ring."

"Very well, that's all I want anyway. I can prove to you I am Shimei." Shimei sneered taking his stance.

Chrom picked up the wooden tool that had laid against the posting on his corner for the conversation. He swung it around a few times to get adjusted to the feel, and prepared himself.

_I don't believe that he's Shimei. Or is it I don't want to? It doesn't matter, our conversation is over. Now, I'll have to get the answers I want from our swords!_

Frederick threw down his arm in a chopping motion, "Begin!" the Great Knight proclaimed.

As he finished the motion, the two charged forward with blades held in opposite hands.

Shimei took the offensive first with a thrust of the weapon. However, Chrom sidestepped and the blade traveled between the gap of Chrom's raised arm and his blue armor. Chrom twisted his blade around to strike Shimei's hands, but Shimei twisted slightly to adjust the front of his blade to the back of Chrom's. He pulled backwards and collided the two blades, knocking Chrom's into the air.

Shimei caught the blade with his free hand, disarming Chrom. The Lord lost no composure, and ran at Shimei. Shimei tried a guillotine-like attack with the two to close line Chrom's neck, but Chrom quickly changed to a slide and knocked Shimei off balance. As Shimei fell, he dropped one of the blades, and it rolled near Chrom.

Chrom picked up the discarded weapon and walked towards Shimei, who had not moved from the fall point. As he approached the tactician, he noticed Shimei looking out of the corner of his eye at Chrom. Taking notice, Chrom tried to back up, but was knocked off balance by the other sword swiping at his feet. He fell with a large thud, but was given no recovery time as Shimei began to stab at the ground. The Lord could only roll to avoid.

Chrom flung himself backward with a sit-up position and landed on his feet. Weapon still in hand, he blocked Shimei oncoming barrage of slashes.

_Chop. Slash. Reversed Slash. Slice. _

Chrom thought as he blocked the attacks. He had memorized Shimei's attack patterns from their constant sparring. He was starting to doubt his opinion of this Shimei.

_The next should be another slash coming upward._

However, Chrom was not correct. He prepared to counter by striking the opposite way, but Shimei's blade was a slash going downward. Chrom's block missed, and Shimei scratched his bare shoulder.

_That wasn't the right move…_

Shimei paused with a smirk when he saw Chrom's confused face.

"You didn't honestly think I would use the same patterns, did you?"

Chrom felt his shoulder. He could feel a bruise forming from the strike, but nothing he couldn't shake off. He readied his stance, and motioned Shimei to continue.

The two clashed one more time, however, Chrom noticed something when they began to strike in opposite patterns.

_He's at…eye level with me?_ Chrom thought in confusion.

Shimei was only an inch taller than Lissa. Lissa, herself, only came up to Chrom's collar bone. So, how was this Shimei taller than him?

Chrom's thought were interrupted when Shimei snapped him back into reality with another strike, which Chrom side-stepped when he had noticed it. Shimei stepped backwards and distanced himself from his opponent. Chrom knew what this would lead too.

_The Aerial Slash that Lon'Qu had taught him. _Chrom realized.

Shimei charged forward.

He would need to stop three inches before the opponent, and twist while slashing downward with the flow of the spin. It was a complicated move. Because without the right distance you can't perform the jump, and too much air time will leave you open to an easy counter.

Chrom readied himself for the move.

However, Shimei did not continue with the jump. He instead kept going forward, but when he tried to stop, it looked like he had lost his balance on his own cloak. The tactician fell straight into to Chrom, who prevented him from falling any further by using his hand to catch Shimei's chest.

Chrom was not met with the feel of abs or flab that a usual male would have. Instead, Chrom felt a bulge. Two bulges to be exact. Both Shimei and Chrom blushed brightly when they realized what happened.

In a surprised manner, Shimei jumped back with a yelp like he had just been stabbed, and covered his chest with his arms.

"S-Shimei…?" Chrom asked in a state shock.

"Y-Yes, Chrom?" Shimei replied with a nervous question.

"Why…why do you have breasts?" Chrom asked.

The whole crowd became silent. They had not heard what the two had said, but the minutes of awkward silence had taken away the hype.

Shimei started to step back more and more. Eventually, his eyes began to gaze frantically at the audience. Everyone had their sights on him. Dropping a sweat that wasn't from the heat of battle, Shimei continued to study the audience. He noticed there was a small row that wasn't as crowded as the rest. He immediately reached into his cloak's pocket and pulled out a tome.

He charged the spell for a second, and fired. He hadn't given the spell enough focus or time to fire a bolt of lightning or a fireball, so instead smoke filled the entire left side of the ring.

Chrom immediately noticed Shimei dash off into the smoke.

"Wait!" Chrom exclaimed chasing after him.

"Chrom!" Lissa yelled attempting to follow after them both, but lost track of them in the smoke.

When the smolder finally cleared, both contestants were missing. Both had run off into the woods.

* * *

**So, I posted this cliffhanger to solve another cliffhanger? Talk about an oxymoron. **


	8. Ayaka

**Hello, Hello. I finally got time to finish this. Enjoy! Also, this and next chapter are going to be the feels chapter. Now, I'm not really good with emotional stuff and my dialogue isn't exactly brilliant, but I tried my best.**

**Emotional Chapter in 3,2,1...**

* * *

Chrom sprinted through the thick woods, chasing down the Shimei impostor. Every now and again he would swat a stray branch that crossed his path, but it didn't slow him down. The route itself was dimly lit. The two had distanced themselves from the fair, and the comforting lights from the torches couldn't be seen let alone used. Dew drops reflected the moonlight and the occasional lightning bug would flicker, but nothing note-worthy in luminosity.

The air was chilled and would feel like nails in your lungs if you ran in it for too long.

Chrom didn't care. He had too much on his mind to be concerned with lighting or weather.

As the Lord continued his dash, he noticed a figure appearing. The figure was wearing a long cloak, the tail being seen flowing around against the motion and wind.

Chrom immediately knew who it was.

"Hey, wait!" Chrom yelled to the imposter. To no avail, they seemed to move faster when Chrom had called out to them.

"Don't think you're getting away from me!" Chrom yelled hoping to coax the person into surrendering.

The figure adjusted their head, as if they were lost in thought for a second. Suddenly, the looked back up as the lighting of the forest intensified. They reached the lake that the forest engulfed. The reflection from the water gave off more light than the dew in the woods, and the lack of trees in that area allowed the moon to give its undivided attention, like a spotlight.

The figure halted realizing their trapped situation. Chrom finally reached the end of his pursuit and stood behind the Shimei imposter.

The two of them stood quietly, as if they were collecting what they would say and argue back. Finally, Chrom took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"So…It's safe to assume I was right about who you are." Chrom said realizing he had the person's attention. "You aren't Shimei."

The figure turned toward Chrom, they still had their Shimei look perfectly. Chrom had almost forgotten the likeness during the chase.

"That's right." The figure said. This time the voice was feminine, proving that it was a woman posing as Shimei.

"So…who are you really?" Chrom asked.

The woman only began to give a chuckle. It wasn't a funny joke chuckle or one you get from watching your friend do something stupid. It was that chuckle you get when you try and fight back tears. Chrom merely stared in confusion at the random laughter.

"You really haven't figured it out? I thought the fact that I was taller AND a girl would give it away." The woman said reaching for her hair.

She revealed that it was a wig made in the likeness of Shimei's hair when she removed it from her head. In its place, scruffy brown hair with two pig tails that rested on her shoulders.

Chrom merely gave a dumbfounded stare. "Ayaka…?" he asked in confusion.

Lissa, Owain, Lucina, and Morgan travelled through the woods. They had managed to find footprints from fresh mud, revealing the path Chrom travelled. As the group pushed forward, each had their own reaction to the prior events.

"So, how do feel about this?" Lucina asked Morgan. "You were excited to see him again, so…" Lucina continued but as she finished she felt the awkwardness silence her a bit.

Morgan looked at the scenery for a bit. She then turned her attention to Lucina.

Morgan gave a slight smile. It wasn't anything like she usually did, but she felt the need to remain a tad optimistic.

"If it really is father, then I'm sure he'll have an explanation to why he did all of this…" Morgan explained. When she finished, she paused for a brief second, as a small amount of doubt began to fill her head.

"Though for the life of me, I can't figure out why."

Lissa listened to the entirety of the conversation. She wanted to stop, pull her daughter into a hug, and tell her everything would be okay. At the same time, however, she didn't want to accept that snarky, confusing person as her Shimei. Owain was the only one remaining in dapper spirits.

"Everyone! I feel the blood of Chrom and father growing! We must be close." Owain declared with gusto.

Lucina merely sighed in annoyance. "We all see the footprints, Owain." She said pointing out the REAL reason they could track the two.

Owain hung his head downward. His fun dampened by Lucina's correction.

Everyone looked up as the light began to intensify around them. They had reached the lake where Chrom and Ayaka had stopped at. When they arrived, Morgan immediately took notice of who Chrom was speaking to.

"Aunt Ayak-" Morgan wanted to yell in surprise, but Lucina covered Morgan's mouth with her hand and gave a quiet shush.

Lucina motioned everyone to hide behind the trees to listen in from afar.

"So, why did you do this?" Chrom asked angrily. He wanted a good reason that Ayaka would try and sully Shimei's name with this stunt of hers.

Ayaka merely stood quietly.

"This is a day in honor of what Shimei did! And you decide to go and insult him?!" Chrom yelled. He was growing more furious by the second from Ayaka's difficulty.

Ayaka clenched her fist. Chrom had something that set her off. She turned and made livid eye contact that matched Chrom's.

"Don't you, of all people, talk to me about insulting Shimei!" Ayaka retorted.

The two became silenced once again. A gust of wind rustled through before the argument continued.

"What are you talking about?" Chrom asked. His rage had subsided during the silence.

But Ayaka's hadn't.

"You're just like everyone else! You claim to have faith in him, but you've given up! You don't-" Ayaka ranted before pausing.

She needed to calm down for the next part. Ayaka took a deep breath and asked a single question.

"Chrom, you've stopped believing Shimei will return, haven't you?"

Chrom merely stood silently in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not just him, Lucina and the others were listening as well. Lucina was doing everything she could to not give away their position by yelling at Ayaka.

"What? That's ridiculous! Of course I haven't!" Chrom answered.

Ayaka merely sighed. She seemed like she was expecting that answer, but upset at him actually saying it.

"Is that so…" Ayaka asked quietly. As she did, she reached into the sleeves of her cloak and pulled out an envelope.

The envelope had the Ylissean symbol on it, showing that it was written by Chrom. Ayaka began to slowly break the seal of the envelope, and removed the letter inside.

"To the current ruler, East Khan, Flavia…" Ayaka read aloud.

"I'm ordering a cease on the search for Shimei. As much as it pains me to say, we're wasting soldiers on a lost cause. I will personally take up the task whenever possible, but consider any debts fully paid…"

"Shall I continue?" Ayaka asked.

Chrom looked downward. He thought no one would ever see that letter, save for Flavia. How did Ayaka find it?

"So, I'll ask again. Chrom, have you given up?"

Chrom remained silent, almost in a broken state. He eventually swallowed his fears and uttered a single sentence.

"I don't know…"

Ayaka stayed quiet and motioned for him to continue.

"I-It's true. I did call back all of the soldiers that were searching. It wasn't smart to have our defenses scattered in small forces. It's not that I want to give up…I just…"

"I have lost an actual reason to believe he'll return, especially not one to justify using others."

Ayaka crumbled the letter in her hands. His answer sickened her to the core of her heart. Lucina couldn't believe her ears. Her father had encouraged everyone to keep believing, but he didn't herself.

Lucina turned to Lissa, who had a stream of tears flowing down her cheeks when she heard Chrom's answer.

"…But still. Why go through all of this? Why give us hope just to break it?" Chrom asked disheartening, his voice still depressed from revealing his secret.

"That's exactly the reason." Ayaka explained.

"I gave everyone a moment to believe that Shimei had returned. He would disappear, and everyone would be willing to go search for him. Their belief would return and…and…"

Ayaka stopped as tears began forming. She tried to hold it back and remain resolute, but her emotions were ready to burst the dam of her demeanor.

"…Then…maybe he would actually come back…I-I JUST WANT MY BROTHER BACK!" Ayaka cried literally flooding her cheeks with tears.

Chrom walked over and pulled Ayaka in for a hug. Ayaka tried to push him away, as far as she was concerned, she hated the man, but then Chrom spoke.

"I miss him too. Lissa and everyone else as well…but we don't deserve the right…not when we haven't been as faithful as you. I'm sorry, not just to Shimei, but to you as well, Ayaka."

Ayaka rested her head on Chrom's shoulder. She could see the scratch that she dealt his bare shoulder as she sobbed. It's true that she wanted Shimei back more than anyone, but having someone comfort her felt nice too.

After a minute or two, Ayaka finally stopped and managed to regain her composure.

"I-I'm…I'm sorry, Chrom. For the stunt, and for what I said." Ayaka said.

Lucina, Morgan, and Owain all watched tear-eyed at the moment. Morgan and Owain wanted to run up and hug their dear aunt, but kept themselves under control. Finally, Lissa stepped back. Tears now dried she motioned for family to follow, and the group retreated to the forest.

There was a long silence from the trek back to the festival. Everyone stayed in a straight line, but eventually, Morgan ran to the front to speak with Lissa.

"M-Mother? Don't you want to talk with Ayaka? Aren't you mad?" the daughter asked.

Lissa shook her head. "No. I don't. Though a little overdone, she had every right."

Morgan looked downward. She quickly pieced together her thoughts and asked one more question.

"Is there anywhere else you'd like to go?"

Lissa stopped for a second. Immediately, somewhere came to mind. One place she hadn't visited in a while.

"Yes, I think there is. Here come with me. You too, Owain."

The mother continued forward. There was one more place to visit, and one more thing she had to do.

* * *

**And just one more chapter to finish this story...**


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